But first, here's a post for you plein air artists out there who may need a new painting box. These are my personal opinions - take it or leave it. :
A DISCUSSION ON PAINTING BOXES
One of my good friends, who I travel and paint with, is in the market
for a new painting box before one of our upcoming trips that involved
airplanes. I’ve been a plein air gear hoarder for a while and thought I would
put together a list of good and bad models that I had some experience with.
She was thinking of just repairing her current model, but it was still
a large box to put into a suitcase. I suggested that she think about whether to
buy a new regular box, or just something small for traveling. Could she adjust
to painting on a box with a smaller mixing area by cleaning the palette more
often?
I also suggested to put out a message to our local painting group that
she was looking for a used box for sale. I have a running search on eBay for
painting boxes and gear, which alerts me to new items. Occasionally some nice
ones (new and used) show up.
Below I write about wet panel carriers, painting boxes, and
tripods. All but one painting box below requires a tripod. I prefer the “clam shell”
style where the mixing pallet is directly below the painting. Other styles have
the mixing pallet hanging off the tripod legs, lower down – near the hips of
the painter. The painting is held at eye level on a device on the top of the
tripod. I always recommend buying a quality tripod, which can last a long time.
Good name brand tripods will also have repair parts available, if needed.
WET PANEL CARRIERS
Raymar. Great travel wet
panel carriers in many sizes: https://www.raymarart.com/Wet-Painting-Carriers-Wet-Panel-Carriers-s/21.htm
PanelPak. These work very
nicely if you are only going to carry two panels home. http://www.panelpak.com/
NOTE: The only brand that has a good attached wet
panel holder are the EasyLs at Artwork Essentials (see below).
PAINTING BOXES
U-Go boxes by New Wave Art. Two
of my local friends have these. Nice! Available also on Amazon, ebay, etc. I’d
buy one if I needed a new one 😉
Strada Easels. Great
customer service. I own the Micro
and Mini, both with side trays. I also own the Tripod tray but have not used it
in the field. I owned the original (largest) Strada, but thought it was too
heavy for me. Bullet proof, simple, efficient design. Love them.
EasyL at Artwork Essentials.
Great customer service. I own the 11x14 Pro and the Pro-chade (no longer made,
but one of my favorites). I bought a Classic Mini on ebay that I never used it
and sold it.
Judsons Art Outfitters. Great
company. I owned three: the Cigar Box, the 9x12 Guerilla Box, and the 5x7 Thumb
Box. I sold all but the tiny one. Nicely made, fairly lightweight, but are made
to haul all the tubes inside, so bulky boxes. They have a few new styles that
copy the type that hangs on tripod legs.
Joshua Been, Prolific Painter.
Two of my local friends have or had the Daytripper Model. Both had some
complaints and one sold hers. I had the Fly on the Wall and sold it. Didn’t
like it, cheaply made, but costly. Terrible customer service. These are the pallet
style that hangs on the tripod legs and the panel holder is up higher. I always
felt like I had my belly right into the wet pallet.
En Plein Air Pro. Another
friend had one of these, but it seems like he didn’t use it for long. Very
lightweight setup, but lots of plastic. Tripod is very cheaply made. Another style
where the pallet hangs on the tripod legs and the panel holder is up higher.
James Coulter, Art Box and Panel.
Been around a long time and has been copied by many. Looks heavy. Again, this
is the style that hangs on the tripod legs and the panel holder is up
higher: https://artboxandpanel.com/
Sienna Boxes. These are very
reasonably priced. A couple people in my group had these. Nicely made, but lots
of wood and heavy. Available on Amazon and ebay or direct.
Ben Haggett's Alla Prima Pochade.
Beautifully made, but lots of wood and heavy. Custom ordered.
Edge Pro Gear. Some of the
“pros” use these. Look just like a laptop case. Two sizes.
Open Box M. One of the
original designs for clam shell style painting boxes. Very lightweight but
expensive. Lots of fiddly wingnuts. I had one but sold it.
Soltek. This is an
all-in-one painting box, like the French easel, but all aluminum. Very
expensive. I bought a used model but felt it was really heavy and sold it. The
legs are pretty finicky and are hard to close. http://www.soltekarts.com/
See this video review by Stefan Baumann of the Open Box M, Strada and
EasyL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgqtAQ1g4l8
TRIPODS
For tripods, buy a quality brand and it will last for years. Look for a
complete tripod with a ball head and quick release plate. You don’t need the
type that are used with video cameras with the arm used for panning the camera.
Think about how small it folds up to fit inside a suitcase or backpack. I always
recommend going to a local photo supply shop and see what they have in person. But
there are many places online to buy. Once I narrow down the model I like, I
google and can usually find a pretty good deal. Expect to pay between $120- 190
(you are worth it!! 😉 ). I
prefer Manfrotto or Benro brands. I bought an off-name brand, which was carbon
fiber (lighter weight). But I found that because it was a smaller travel size,
the weight was not that much different than a standard aluminum version.
Below is a good model that I recommend, which that folds to about 16”.
Manfrotto Be Free Compact Travel Easel:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1367497-REG/manfrotto_mkbfrta4rd_bhus_befree_advanced_travel_tripod.html
